Energy Monitoring System for Automotive R&D Center in Shanghai

Energy Monitoring System for Automotive R&D Center in Shanghai

This project focuses on implementing a comprehensive Energy Monitoring System for a large-scale automotive R&D center, enabling full visibility of energy consumption and supporting cost control and operational optimization.

Project Key Result

• From rough to refined energy management
• Transparent and allocable energy costs
• 20%+ reduction in after-hours energy consumption
• Sustainable energy management framework established

Project Overview

Project Name Huayu Automotive R&D Center
Location Zhangjiang Hi-Tech Park, Pudong, Shanghai, China
Industry Automotive Office & R&D Facility
Building Scale 3 main buildings with podium, total floor area of approx. 100,000 m²
System Type Building-level Energy Monitoring System
Deployment On-premise deployment
Device Scale Approx. 220 smart meters and 8 ultrasonic energy meters
Data Acquisition 5 data collectors and 1 power monitoring control cabinet
System Functions Real-time energy monitoring, sub-metering, power monitoring, energy analysis, and reporting

Customer Challenge

   Lack of Sub-metering for Major Energy Loads
  • The primary energy consumption in the R&D center comes from HVAC systems, data centers, and laboratory equipment. However, energy usage is currently monitored only at the main meter level, with no sub-metering for key equipment. As a result, it is difficult to identify high-energy-consuming sources when costs increase, limiting effective energy cost control.
   HVAC Energy Cannot Be Allocated
  • HVAC accounts for over 35% of total building energy consumption during peak seasons. Due to the lack of thermal energy and zone-level metering, energy usage cannot be allocated across different departments or tenants, leading to challenges in internal cost sharing and weak incentives for energy saving.
Energy Waste Due to Manual Control
  • Lighting, air conditioning, and water usage are largely managed manually, resulting in frequent cases of equipment running without occupancy. Without data tracking or monitoring, energy waste cannot be effectively identified or controlled.
   Lack of Energy Management Dashboard
  • Energy data is scattered across different systems, with no unified platform for centralized monitoring and analysis. Management lacks visibility into energy trends and performance, making it difficult to develop data-driven energy management strategies.

What We Implemented

Building-level Sub-metering System
  • Sub-metering points are deployed across distribution circuits, HVAC systems, data centers, and laboratory equipment to establish a comprehensive building-level energy data collection system.
HVAC Energy Monitoring & Allocation
  • Ultrasonic energy meters are installed at key points in the HVAC system to independently measure cooling and heating consumption for different zones.
After-hours Energy Monitoring
  • Energy consumption in office areas and public spaces is continuously monitored during non-working hours to identify idle equipment and abnormal energy usage.

System Architecture

A complete on-site energy monitoring system was deployed, covering data collection, transmission, and multi-level energy measurement across the entire building.

Platform Layer：
  • Local server deployed for secure data storage and visualization.
Data Acquisition Layer：
  • Data loggers and control panels ensure stable and unified data collection.
Metering Layer：
  • Comprehensive sub-metering across circuits, equipment, and HVAC systems.

 

Layer Device Type Function Description
Platform Layer Local Server Deploys the local energy management system, supporting data storage and visualization analysis
Acquisition Layer Data Collector Collects data from various meters and energy devices, enabling unified data integration
Acquisition Layer Power Monitoring Control Cabinet Centralized management of power monitoring circuits and communication
Metering Layer Single-phase Smart Meter Measurement of office and lighting circuits
Metering Layer Three-phase Smart Meter Measurement of power and distribution systems
Metering Layer Multi-function Meter Monitoring of key equipment and critical circuits
Metering Layer Ultrasonic Energy Meter Measurement of heating and cooling energy for central air-conditioning systems

Result

Full Energy Visibility with Sub-metering

How it works
  • Energy data is transformed from total-level monitoring to device-, zone-, and department-level visibility.
What you get
  • From “invisible total” to “clear breakdown”
  • Department-level cost allocation
  • Traceable and comparable energy data

 

HVAC Energy Allocation

How it works
  • Thermal energy is measured and allocated based on actual usage across departments.
What you get
  • From shared cost → usage-based allocation
  • Clear responsibility across departments
  • Data foundation for HVAC optimization

 

Energy Behavior Improvement

How it works
  • Energy cost is linked to departments, combined with after-hours monitoring.
What you get
  • Organization-wide energy management
  • 20%+ reduction in after-hours energy use
  • Long-term energy-saving culture

 

 

Related Products

The physical devices responsible for data measurement, collection, and transmission.

Wired IoT Gateway ECSY001

Wi-Fi IoT Gateway ECSF101

ECBD001 Series Single-Phase Electronic Energy Meter

ECBD003 Series DIN-rail Mounted Three-Phase Electronic Energy Meter

ECBD005 Panel-Mounted Digital Multifunction Power Meter

ECBK002 Integrated Type Electromagnetic Thermal Energy Meter

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